Light absorption cell



533%. 19% w. R. FTFORD m.

LIGHT ABSORPTION CELL Original Filed Sept. 7, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I07 PLATE DlSANE QIIEFI s4 THOATHS LIGHT AFLER'EURE PLATES "a e APART INVENTQRS F. W. CRAWFORD N. R. FLAT FORD M ATTORNEYS 9 [1949 w. R. FLATFQRD ET M, 9 3

LIGHT ABSORPTION CELL Original Filed Sept. '7, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5l52472l46 256l4868 BY FIG. 8 M W ATTORNEYS w. R. FLATFORD AL AS0345 LIGHT ABSORPTION CELL Original Filed Sept. 1, 1943 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 VENT 8R5 \iv H2 5% BY 4 I W W %O1A 7 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 6, 1949 orr cs LIGHT ABSORPTION CELL William R. Flati'ord and FrancisWeldon Crawford, Bartlesville, th., assignors toPhillips Petroleum Company, I, corporation of Delaware Original application September 7, 1943, Serial No. 501,506. Divided and this application June 30, 1947, Serial No. 757,982

8 Claims. (01. zit-14) fluids to be tested and comparison cells.

This application is a division of our application, Serial No. 501,506, filed September 7, 1943, for Absorption cell, now U. S. Patent 2,436,511 of February 24, 1948.

It has been found that different fluids respond diiierently to the transmission of light of different wave lengths. For example, water absorbs some light in the infra-red but transmits visual light freely whereas benzene absorbs the light heavily in the ultra-violet end of the spectrum. Each chemical substance has an individual response and by plotting absorption curves with light wave length as one axis and percent absorption as the other axis the exact chemical identity of the substance being tested may be discovered although no other method might reveal what it is. The absorption spectrum or the Raman spectrum may be used. Mixtures of two compounds too close in nature to be chemically or physically separated may have their percentages of respective components revealed by spectrophotometry.

The devices of the prior art have proved to be unequal to the problem of dealing with an opaque liquid, or one having a relatively low boiling point especially those of a hydrocarbon nature. The usual square quartz cell is too thick for opaque liquids and they have to be diluted with a suitable solvent. This dilution with the solvent is too uncertain as the small quantity involved makes it difficult to measure'the exact percentage of dilution and the purity of the solvent must be carefully tested. With a volatile liquid the material may be lost before it can be analyzed. No simple apparatus for handling gases or liquids exists. If the Baly tube of the prior art is used, the rubber seal is soon destroyed by the compounds being tested, such as hydrocarbons, and small parts of the rubber seal will dissolve and enter the test chamber in the tube and spoil the accuracy of the testresults, or if the hydrocarbon must be confined under pressure there are difilculties with leakage as the Baly tube will not retain liquids under any substantial pressure.

It is also known that the absorption of a fluid varies with the pressure and temperature of the fluid, so control of the pressure as well as the temperature is regarded as important.

One object of our invention is to overcome these objections to the prior art by providing apparatus which will handle all types of fluids in its absorption cells.

Another object is to provide a practical instrument to solve practical problems in the industrial application of spectrophotometry to analyses for plant control.

Another object is to provide a set of absorption cells that can be used effectively-with minimum chance for errors by personnel not so highly skilled as graduate technicians without sacrifice of precision.

Another object is to provide apparatus by which the operator will be able to analyze either liquid or gaseous substances at will without loss of time.

Another object is to provide a cell in which the pressure may be varied so that volatile fluids may be kept in liquid phase, or a partial vacuum created over the liquid, or the fluid may be tested as a compressed or a rarefied gas.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following specification, studying the drawings and reading over the claims of this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of one side of our absorption cell magazine showing the controls and with the fluid supply pipes broken away.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of our absorption cell magazine with the telescoping absorption tube in operative position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 in which the vertically sliding fixed volume cells are in operative position, and with the hatch removed to give access to these cells.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along a vertical plane through the axis of the telescoping absorption tube, with the exception that substantially the lower front quarter of the tube is not in section, parts being broken away.

, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the first step in building up the liquid cell.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the first step in assembling the cell.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the same cell as Figures 5 and 6 after it is fully assembled.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing two of the cells detachably secured together as a unit.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the assembly and operation of the liquid cells with all unrelated parts removed for clarity.

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view taken just inside the far wall of Figure 2 looking toward the near wall and showing the relationship of parts with a special reference to the light obscuring triangle and the rack and pinion for operating the same.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view showing the light obscuring triangle and its relation to the light transmitting orifice.

As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 there are;

eter) when the absorption cell 23 is held still and handle 24 is pulled, the apparatus moves from the position of Figure 2 to that of Figure 3 and in that case, the light entering orifice 20 passes through whichever liquid cell 25 in Figure 9 is positioned in front of the orifice, the light passing through hole 26 in the back of the cell and out through orifice 22 to the photometer (not shown).

Describing the apparatus in the position of Figure 2, attention is directed to Figure 4 in which a telescoping absorption cell 2| of a particularly novel and valuable construction forms a part of our invention. This cell is adapted to handle gases or liquids under pressure or vacuum.

Case 23 is a box-like structure having like orifices 20 and 22 formed therein and having horizontal tracks 21 placed above and below the orifice 20; the housing 23 being chamfered to form a channel 28. Sliding horizontally in channel 28 and guided by tracks 21 is a supporting frame arm 29 on which the tube 2| is seated. The frame arm 29 is provided with a threaded opening 3| which receives the threaded nose 32 of the tube 2|, the tube being screwed up firmly against the arm 29. The tube 2| is provided with upper and lower fiuid conducting tubes 33 so that liquids, vapors and gases may be forced into space 34 and held in a liquid state therein if desired. Valves I28 and I29 control the fiow in tubes 33.

The nose 32 is provided with internal screw threads 36 into which a ferrule sleeve 31 may be screwed to hold quartz plate 38 in place. Quartz plate 38 is frustroconical in shape and has a band of lead amalgam 33 around its periphery sealing it to the tube 2|.

A movable tube 4| is similarly provided with a quartz window 38' of frustroconical shape having lead amalgam around its periphery. Window 38 is held in tube 4| by concentric internal tube 42 and tube 42 is secured in tube 4| by screw sleeve ferrule 43. Sleeves 31 and 43 are provided with engagement slots 44 by which they may be adjusted.

The seal for chamber 34 between tube 2| and tube 4| is completed by means of metallic bellows 46 which is made out of thin steel. We may employ 0.005 inch "Rex" bellows made of S. A. E. 18-8 steel, but any suitable bellows may be used. Metal bellows is preferred but other types of material not attacked by the organic liquids tested could be employed. Bellows 46 is welded to rings 41 and 48. Ring 41 fits snugly against tube 2| and ring 41 is provided with small triangular apertures 43 to allow passage of fluid between the ring and tube 4|. Ring 41 is secured to tube 2| by screws a lead amalgam gasket 52 supplying a seal between the parts. A similar fluid seal between ring 48 and tube 4| is provided by lead amalgam gasket 53 and screws 54.. Screws 54 have the additional function'of securing a drive sleeve 56 to tube 4|. Drive sleeve 56 is provided with threads 51. A shaft 58 has a very steep pitched worm 58 keyed thereto and drives sleeve 6| by means of worm wheel teeth 62 machined therein. The particular type of gear teeth employed to drive sleeve 6| is believed immaterial to our invention.

While sleeve 6| may be made in several parts assembled by shrinking or other means we have shown it in one piece for simplicity, and formed in sleeve 6| we have shown a gear 63. A revolution counter 64 is provided with a gear 66 on its drive shaft meshing with gear 63. By a proper adjustment of gear sizes the numbers on the revolution counter may be made to be exact units of distance between the quartz plates 38 and 38. We prefer to have this plate distance measured in thousandths of an inch but of course any units may be employed.

Sleeve 6| is secured to a screw sleeve 61 by screws 68. The screw sleeve 61 has internal screw threads complementary to threads 51. Tube 2| being held from rotation by arm 23 and being connected non-rotatably to tube 4| by bellows 46 it will be seen that rotation of rod- 58 will turn sleeve 6| and 61 and force sleeve 56 and with it tube 4| (which is secured to sleeve 56 by screws 54) in and out varying the distance between windows 38 and 38.

Rods 63 and 1| are rotatably supported in the back wall 12 of Figure 4. These rods will be described later.

In Figures 5 to 8 is shown the preferred method of construction of our preferred liquid cells.

In Figure 5, two quartz plates 13 and 14 are spaced the desired distance apart and the front and rear adjacent edges are fused together. While the size of the cells is not part of the invention we may use quartz windows each inch by inch by 1 inch. In this manner a square tubular cell 18 is created having an internal space 13, the thickness of the quartz plates 13 and 14 being preferably the same as plates 38 and 38' of Figure 4.

Turning to Figure 6, we assemble the liquid cells by placing the quartz tube 18 in the angle of metal angle 8| and bringing up a metal plate 82. Plate 82 and end 83 of angle 8| both have oval holes 84 therein and the light passes through these holes 84 and through the quartz 18 in traversing the instrument.

Tube 18 is clamped between the plates 82 and 83 by screws 86.

V The top and bottom of angle 8|, plate 82 and quartz cell 18 are then ground oil. to a smooth fiat surface and lead amalgam is applied to these top and bottom ground surfaces. As shown in Figure 1, end plates 81 are then secured by means of screws 88 to the top and bottom of the cells and are sealed thereto by the lead amalgam. The top end plate 81 is provided with a screw threaded opening 89 which is directly over opening 19 in cell 18. Opening 88 is closed by a screw threaded plug 9|.

Figure 8 shows the rear view of the cells as viewed in Figures 6 and 7. Two liquid cells 82 and 82' have been placed on top of each other. Plate 8| is provided with a vertical groove 82' which has a horizontal branch 83. Grooves 82 and 83' will be explained later. The back of plate 8| also has a pin 84' projecting therefrom and a link member 86' is screwed to plate 8| by screw 81f. Link member 86' has a hole.

88' for receiving pin 84' of the cell below and securing the cells together as a train for vertical movement together.

A v-shaped guide slot 03 is cut through end plates 81 and the back of angles II from top to bottom to provide a guideas will be described later.

Figure 9 shows how the cells 32 and 92' are assembled in the liquid cell portion of the apparatus. Arm 2!! is provided with a window which is positioned in alignment with orifice 20 when the apparatus is in the position shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure'9, cell 92 is in position and groove 03 is guided on rod 94 se-' cured in guide groove 38. The cells 92 and 32' are held up against guide rod 94 and guide strip 91 by sled runner 90 which is urged toward plate 12 by spring 99. Spring is secured to plate 12 by block IM and the illustrated screws.

Rod 69 is non-rotatably secured to crank arm I02 and crank arm I02 has a pin I03 shown in dotted lines. As crank arm I02 is raised, pin I03 will move in slot 33' and carry the cells 32 and 92' upward until cell 32' is centered over orifice 20.

In Figure 10, shaft H has non-rotatably mounted thereon a spur gear I03 engaged with rack I04. When rod 1| is turned, rack. I04 moves up and down. Mounted on rack I04 is a triangular shaped opaque sheet metal wedge I06 and as shown in Figure II as rack I04 rises wedge I06 cuts off the light passing through orifice 20. In Figure 1 the ends of pipes 33 are shown as coming down between housing 23 and instrument panel plate I01. Space for these pipes 33 can be provided by making notches in housing 23, plate I01 or both. The various controls shown on the face of plate I01 are connected to the instrumentalities described as follows:

Crank arm I08 is keyed to rod 00 and may contain a spring pressed detent I03. An operating knob III is provided on the crank I03 and an arm II2 may be secured to panel I 01 by screws. The are II2 may be provided with recesses II 3, H4 and IIS and stops H1 and IIO giving three positions to be described later.

The Veeder counter 04 reads through a hole in plate I01. Handle 24 is provided on the plate I01 for pulling the plate out. Rod 1| is nonrotatably secured to knob H9, which has nonrotatably secured to it a pointer I 2I and a scale may be engraved on plate I01 as shown to indicate the position of wedge I06 of Figure 11.

Rod 58 is non-rotatably secured to crank arm I22 having an operating handle I23 thereon.

A hatchway I24 is provided in the top of housing 23 so that access to cells 92 and 92 may be provided. The hatchway is covered by a hatchway cover I26 which may be tapered or have some other construction to hold it flush with the top of 23, and it may be provided with a knob I21 for a handle.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

When the apparatus is in the position shown in Figure 2, the telescopic cell 2| of Figure '4 is lined up with apertures 20 and 22 so that the light passing to the photometer from the spectrum producer passes through the telescopic .cell. We preferably use any liquid or gas in the telescopic cell without using any solvents to decrease its opacity as the thickness of the fluid can be varied by turning handle I23- and the distance between plates 30 and 30' may be read in thousandths of an inch at 64. The liquid or gas must be one that may be volatilized or blown out of the telescopic tube by warm air. As a comparison cell, the telescopic tube might be used while empty but as the reading on the photometer may vary from time to time, we prefer to shift the device to the position shown in Figure 3 and use an empty liquid cell 92 (the quartz walls 13 and 14 of which are the same optical thickness as plates 38 and 38' of the tube 2|) as a comparison cell.

When the comparison reading is made the device can be shifted quickly back from the position of Figure 3 to the :position of Figure 2 and readings then taken with the telescopic tube 2 I.

when a liquid which does not vaporize readily is to be tested, we prefer to use the liquid cells 92 and 92'. One of these may be empty or may contain water or a normal paraflln hydrocarbon if ultra-violet light is being employed or carbon tetrachloride if infra-red light is employed. These standards of comparison set forth in this paragraph are all old.

When lever I08 is in the position shown in Figure 1, and the device is in the position shown in Figure 3, the upper cell 92 will transmit the light from orifice 20. When lever I08 is moved so that detent I08 enters notch I I4, the lower cell 92' will be moved into that position and receive light from orifice 20. Figure 9 shows that pin I03 runs close to slot 82 in these positions, so by moving lever I00 a little further to notch I I5 liquid cells 92 and 92 become released, as pin I03 is now in slot 82, and the operator can lift the two cells out of hatchway I24 the cells being secured together by link 86' of Figure 8.

Pipes 33 are provided with valves I28 and I23. Due to the strong construction utilizing the metal bellows 46 a considerable amount of pressure may be maintained in space 34 by forcing fluids into 33. In this way substances which would be vola-.

tile at a certain temperature may be kept at a temperature where they will be in liquid phase and thus be tested in our apparatus. And sub stancesnormally inthe liquid phase can have the atmospheric pressure relieved so that they be-' come gaseous for the purposes of the test. Let the intensity of the light through the. comparison cell be 10 and the intensity of light through the sample containing cell be Is then the percent transmission T of the sample is:

' of parts. Obviously numerous changes in design and construction of parts, such as the use of other gaskets and sealing agents than lead amalgam, or the use of diflerent gears than those shown, do not avoid the scope of our invention, the invention being limited in scope only by the following claims.

We claim:

1. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture, a second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto. a first telescopic absorption cell adapted to contain fluids under pressures substantially different than atmospheric pressure mounted on said sec- 0nd frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, flexible conduit meansto supply fluid to said first cell under suitable absolute pressure, a second track secured to said second frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and at an angle to the axis of said first track and second and third absorption cells mounted on and movable on said second track and connected together as a train, to each be positioned in turn in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a second position of said second frame.

2. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture, a second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto, a first absorption cell adapted to contain fluids under pressures substantially different than atmospheric pressure mounted on said second frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, flexible conduit means to supply fluid to said first cell under suitable absolute pressure, a second track secured to said second frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and at an angle to the axis of said first track and second and third absorption cells mounted on and movable on said second track and connected together as a train, to each be positioned in turn in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a second position of said second frame.

3. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extend n along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture, a second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto, a first telescopic absorption cell mounted on said second frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, a second track secured to said second frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and at an angle to the axis of said firstttrack and second and third absorption cells mounted on and movable on said second track and connected together as a train. to each be positioned in turn in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a second position of said second frame.

I 4. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture, a'second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto, a first telescopic absorption cell adapted to contain fluids under pressures substantially different than atmospheric pressure mounted on said second frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, flexible conduit means to supply fiuid to said first cell under suitable absolute pressure, a second track secured to said second, frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and atom angle to the axis of said first track and secondand third absorption cells mounted on andmovable on said second track to each be positioned in turn in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a second position of said second frame.

5. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture, a second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto, a first absorption cell mounted on said second frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, a second track secured to said second frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and at an angle to the axis of said first track and second and third absorp tion cells mounted on and movable on said second track and connected together as a train, to each be positioned in turn in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a second position of said second frame.

6. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture, a second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto, a first absorption cell adapted to contain fluids under pressures substantially difierent than atmospheric pressure mounted on said second frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, flexible conduit means to supply fluid to said first cell under suitable absolute pressure, a second track secured to said second frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and at an angle to the axis of said first track and second and third absorption cells mounted on and movable on said second track to each be positioned in turn in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a second position of said second frame.

7. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture, a second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto, a first telescopic absorption cell mounted on said second frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, a second track secured to said second frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and at an angle to the axis of said first track and second and third absorption cells mounted on and movable on said second track to each be positioned in turn in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a second position of said second frame.

8. An optical apparatus comprising in combination a first frame, said first frame having a light transmitting aperture formed therein, a first track secured to said first frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing: the central axis of said aperture, a second frame mounted on and movable on said first track parallel thereto, a first absorption cell mounted on said second frame to be positioned in light transmitting alignment with said aperture in a first position of said second frame, a second track REFERENCES CITED secured to said second frame extending along an axis normal to a plane containing the central axis of said aperture and at an angle to the The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

axis of said first track, and second and third 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS absorption cells mounted on and movable on N said second track to each be positioned in turn $523, 5 g I in light transmitting alignment with said aper- 2:051317 '';i 1936 ture in a second position of said second frame.

10 WILLIAM R. FLATFORD. FRANCIS WELDON CRAWFORD. 

